US: Deskpass, a network of on-demand, flexible workspaces, has announced plans to merge with Breather, a subsidiary of flexible workspace company Industrious.
The merger expands Deskpass’s workplace solutions and network, “supporting the shift toward hybrid work and bridging the gap between companies that prefer their employees to return to the office and employees who prefer the flexibility of working from home. Instead, employees can now have greater access to convenient workspaces, reducing the time they spend working from home and easing employer concerns”.
“Over the past two years, Deskpass and Breather have both experienced a more than tenfold surge in bookings, revolutionising how thousands of companies approach workspace flexibility,” said Sam Rosen, CEO of Deskpass. “Collectively the Deskpass and Breather brands have supported over 500,000 flexible workspace reservations. As we operate Breather in partnership with Industrious, we’re poised to further accelerate this growth, bringing innovative, on-demand workspace solutions to the forefront of real estate strategy.”
The demand for hybrid work arrangements or alternatives to five-day-a-week in-office policies has continued to normalise in the years following the pandemic. In its annual State of Hybrid Work 2023 research Owl Labs found that 66 per cent of companies are mandating in-office work, while only 22 per cent of employees are happy with the in-office work style. This divide results in only 41 per cent of employees saying they would comply with the mandate without complaint, while 22 per cent would return but be unhappy, 31 per cent would return and start but start looking for a new job, and six per cent would quit entirely.
“We are excited for this merger, and to partner with Deskpass in reshaping the future of the workplace,” said Jamie Hodari, CEO and co-founder of Industrious. “Employees want flexibility and more than anything, they want choice. Deskpass & Breather give employees the choice of where to work, from a few hours in a secluded spot, to on-demand access across entire metro areas. When companies incorporate flexible solutions like Deskpass and Breather into their overall office network strategy, they get happier employees who are more productive and collaborative when it truly counts.”
“So much time, energy, and anxiety have been wasted in the return-to-work debate because home and office are seen as the only options,” added Evan Fain, general manager of new ventures at Industrious. “By simply adding Deskpass & Breather’s on-demand, flexible workspace network as the third option, companies instantly get the facetime and collaboration they want, while employees get the shorter commutes and greater personal control they embraced during the pandemic.”
Hodari and Fain will both join the Deskpass board of directors.
